Convertible table-bench assembly



July 29, 1958 M. B. GRAWL CONVERTIBLE TABLE-BENCH ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 9, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEYNTOR. MILTON a. GRAWL ATTORNEYS July 29; 1958 I GRAwL 2,845,110

CONVERTIBLE TABLE-BENCH ASSEMBLY I Filed Feb. 9, 1956 s Shets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. MILTON B. GRAWL ATTORNEYS July 29, 1958 G w 2,845,110

' CONVERTIBLE TABLE-BENCH ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 9, 1956 3 Sheets- Sheet 3 Fig.5

INVENTOR. MILTON B. GRAWL ATTORNEYS 1 This invention relates to an article of United States Patent I The invention described herein may, be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America forgovernmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

furniture which is convertible for use as a table or bench and it is adapted for use with other benches or chairs which it supports.

.1. The article of furniture of the present invention has general utility but is adapted particularly for ship installation where floor areas are required for use as dining quarters or as assembly rooms for social functions. The table bench combination is designed to serve the dual function, of a table when it is in one of its adjusted positions, and as a bench when in its other adjusted position. In either position ofuse it is arranged for supporting other chairs or benches to provide a dining room unit or an assembly room unit.

An object of the invention is to provide a convertible article of furniture of the type described which can be converted into either of its alternate forms quickly and with facility.

Another object is to provide such a convertible article of furniture which in its table position provides a serviceable and strong structure, and when adjusted to its bench position provides a rigid and yet comfortable seat with back rest.

A further object is to provide such convertible article of furniture which is simple in construction, can be manufactured at relatively low cost, is durable and is not likely to get out of order or require repairs.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the-annexed drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view inelevation of the article of furniture in use as a table and anassembly of suitable chairs;

P Fig. 2 is a top planiyiew showing the assembly of Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the article of furniture converted to the form of a bench;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with the article of furniture adjusted for use as a bench; and

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the assembly of Fig. 4;

Figs. 6 and 7 show details of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, a stanchion or standard 10 is secured to a surface such as a ships deck 11 and supports at its upper end the table-bench assembly indicated generally at 12. The member 10 is arranged to adjust the assembly 12 vertically and to this end is preferably formed of telescoping members 13 and 13' which are locked in their selected upper or lower position by releasable locking means 14 and 15. The locking means, as shown in Fig. 6, provides a pin which is received in an aperture in the telescoping element 13' while the other provides a screw extension which is arranged to pressure contact the element, 13' and these means cooperate to maintain the standard rigid after it is adjusted upwardly 2 o1 downwardly. As shown the standard 10 is formed with two sets of telescoping members 13 and 13.

The assembly 12 is made up of a fixed frame-16 forming a seating surface which is preferably provided with an upholstered cushion 17, and a movable frame 18 having one face adapted to function as a back rest which is provided with an upholstered cushion 19 and its other face arranged to functionas a table top 20.

The fixed frame 16 is provided with an upstanding flange 21 at each of its ends and each flange is provided with a slot 22 in its rear end portion. Each slot extends between the top and bottom edges of the flange and is provided with spaced locking portions such as loweror rear locking portion 23 and anupper or front locking portion 24. I i i The movable frame 18 is provided in its lower portion with lugs 25 which extend laterally from each of-its sides .26. The lugs are received in the slots 22 which permit movement of the lugs between the locking portions of the slots for adjustment of the movable frame 18 relative to the fixed frame 16. The fixed frame 16 is additionally provided with stops 27 disposed adjacent and ,below,. its

rear edge to limit the movement of the frame 18 when it is adjusted to its bench position.

In Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 the article of furniture is shown in its position for use as a table and the telescoping members 13' of the standard are adjusted upwardly and locked in the upper position by the releasable locking means 14 and 15. The back rest cushion 19 of the movable frame 18 is disposed in face to face relation with the cushion 17 of seat 16 of the fixed frame and the table top surface 20 faces upwardly in position for use. In this position the lugs 25 of the movable frame are received in the upper or front locking portion 24 of slot 22. The table top may, as shown, be provided with suitable molding strips for decorative or utilitarian purposes.

An additional means is provided to lock the movable support 18 in the position of Fig. 1 and comprises a latch 30 shown in Fig. 7 of the well-known spring type which has one end fixed to the inner face of a side 26. Each latch 30 has a lug 31 fixed thereto which is received in an aperture 32 in the upstanding flange 21 and a push button 33 for releasing the lug 31 from the aperture 32 is disposed on the side 26.

In Fig. 3 the movable frame 18 is adjusted from its table position of Fig. 1 to form a bench having a back rest, and the lugs 25 extending from the sides 26 of the movable frame are positioned in the lower or rear locking portion 23 of the slot and in this position the lower end portion of the movable member abuts the stops 27 carried by the fixed frame. In order to make the adjustment of the movable frame from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 3, the push button 33 of the spring latch is pushed inwardly thereby releasing the lug 31 from the slot 32 and permitting the movable frame 18 to be raised.

In Fig. 4, the assembly of frame members 16 and 18 is adjusted downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 3, by the manipulation of the adjusting members 14 and 15, to lower the telescoping members 13' so that the assembly can function in its lower position as a bench.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 5, horizontal supports generally indicated at 35 extend outwardly from each of the standards and are for the purpose of receiving chairs which are shown at 36. The chairs 36 form with the combination bench and table, a unit which is adapted for accommodating a small group for dining purposes or a larger group for lecture or entertainment purposes. The supports 35 are provided with sockets 37 which are similar in design and are for the purpose of receiving the shafts 38 of the chairs for adjusting the chair spacing Patented July 29, 1958 in accordance with the particular use of the combination bench and table assembly.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claim the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is An article of furniture for use as a table or a bench which comprises a stanchion fixedly supporting" at its upper end a generally rectangular seat having front, rear and opposed side edges, a first fixed plate extending transversely of one side edge of the seat and forming a. first vertical flange above the seat, a second fixed plate extending transversely of the other side edge of the seat and forming a second vertical flange above the seat, each of said flanges providing a front vertical edge portion adjacent the front edge of the seat and a rear vertical edge portion adjacent and beyond the rear edge of the seat, a slot in each of said rear vertical edge portions, each slot being generally vertical and terminating in an upper generally horizontal locking area, a rectangular table top having front, rear and opposed side edges, said opposed side edges of the table top being spaced apart to be received between and in closely adjacent relation with said flanges, each of said opposed side edges of the table top having a lug extending laterally therefrom, one of i said lugs being received in one of said slots and the other lug being received in the other of said slots when the article of furniture is" as'sei'nbl'd, said lugs being movable into the upper locking area of the slots to position the table top in horizontal position with its lower face in closely adjacent relation with the upper face of the seat and said lugs being movable downwardly of the slots when the table top is tilted from its horizontal position to provide a back rest for the seat, abutment means on the lower face of the seat and adjacent its rear edge to maintain the table top in its tilted position and said stanchion beingadjustable upwardly or downwardly to accommodate the article of furniture for use as a table or as a bench.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 341,319 Cooke May 4, 1886 342,847 Schleier June 1, 1886 600,812 Swanson Mar. 15, 1898 789,364 Gauwin et a1. May 9, 1905 1,238,452 South Aug. 28, 1917 1,255,764 Macon Feb. 5, 1918 oR' IoN PATENTS 1,680 Great Britain L872 

